(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the manufacture of brick and, more particularly, to an apparatus for blending courses of brick from two kiln cars.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Bricks are normally arranged in fired kiln cars in a plurality of stacks of three stacks across the width of the kiln car and three stacks along the length thereof. The number of stacks may vary depending upon the size of the kiln car. Each stack includes a plurality of double-layer courses of brick with each successive course having the headers facing perpendicular to the headers of the previous course. Each layer of each course contains a plurality of rows and columns with 4 rows and 11 brick per column being the most common. The bricks in each column are arranged end-to-end and the bricks in the rows are spaced apart from side-to-side to allow hot gases from the kiln to more uniformly penetrate the stack of bricks.
The stacks on the kiln car generally do not correspond to the stacks in the final strapped package as far as the number of brick in each row is concerned or the number of rows in each stack. Therefore, the courses of brick cannot be removed directly from the kiln car and stacked directly atop each other to form the final package because the number of bricks in each column or row on the kiln car is not generally the same as the number of bricks in each column or row on a finished package.
For the most part, this is immaterial as the stacker successfully receives columns of bricks from the kiln car continuously fed into it, and forms the brick into one continuous columnar package, which is subsequently cut off to the desired number of columns. However, the grouping of the brick courses unloaded from the kiln car into courses having the proper number of rows for the final package does present a problem.
One solution to this problem includes a breaking-down of courses from the kiln car into single rows on an off-bearing conveyor, moving the bricks in a single file along the conveyor and regrouping by some mechanism at the end of the conveyor at the proper number of rows. The rows are then reformed into courses and stacks in the final package.
Another solution to the problem is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,398, issued to Stewart et al., wherein a special pick-up head unloads the bricks from the kiln car and transfers them to the conveyor to rearrange bricks in mid-air by shifting the pick-up gripper elements.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,597, issued to Brown et al., discloses an apparatus in which brick courses are successively lifted and transferred from a kiln car onto the receiving end of a marshalling table with the longitudinal dimension of the bricks extending transversely to the table. A push mechanism pushes against the cut surface of the bricks and moves the bricks longitudinally on the table toward the discharge end thereof and urges the bricks against an upstanding wall of a moveable marshalling carriage. The carriage slides from a first position beneath the discharge end of the marshalling table to a second position beyond the discharge end in response to the pressure entered by the push mechanism. When a prescribed number of brick have been pushed against the upstanding wall and the moveable carriage moved to a second position, the push mechanism is deactivated and a clamp engages and holds the brick remaining on the marshalling table. The marshalling carriage is then moved an additional distance to space the bricks thereon from the bricks remaining on the marshalling table. A transfer push-off them moves the bricks from the carriage transversely from the receiving end of a conveying apparatus from where the bricks are moved to a stacking and strapping apparatus. However, this system does not provide any means for increasing the number of rows of brick, but only the number of brick in each row.
Thus, there remains a need for new and improved dehacking apparatus which is operable to adjust the number of brick in each row of a course of bricks while, at the same time, providing means for adjusting the number of rows of brick in each course. Such an apparatus permits a great flexibility in kiln car arrangement while still being operable to provide a standard size package of brick for strapping. In addition, such an apparatus may be adapted to receive brick from two kiln cars at the same time and selectively blend courses of brick from each car.